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It seems you can’t eat anything anymore

RECALLS AFTER RECALLS:Tons of hummus and millions of pounds of ground beef were among this week's food recalls.

This week has been a bad one for America’s food companies, as everything from ground beef to walnuts are being recalled.

BBQ beware: Nearly 2M pounds of ground beef could be contaminated
Officials say a Detroit-based business is recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products sold for restaurant use in as many as nine states that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says the recall affects Wolverine Packing Co. products, produced between March 31 and April 18. They were shipped to distributors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.

Packages bear the establishment number “EST. 2574B” and will have a production date code in the format “Packing Nos: MM DD 14″ between “03 31 14″ and “04 18 14.” The Food Safety and Inspection Service says 11 cases of illness have been identified.

Literally tons of hummus is being recalled for listeria fears
assachusetts prepared foods manufacturer Lansal Inc, commonly known as Hot Mama’s Foods, said it would voluntarily pull hummus and dip products sold at Target, Trader Joe’s and other retailers, the administration said.

Lansal launched the recall of about 14,860 pounds of hummus after a single 10-ounce container of Target Archer Farms Traditional Hummus surveyed by the Texas Department of Health tested positive for listeria, the administration said.

Listeria monocytogenes can lead to serious, even fatal, infections especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Infections can have particularly harmful effects for pregnant women, including miscarriage and stillbirths.

Oh nuts! Walnuts recalled
St. Louis-based Sherman Produce Co said it would begin recalling 241 cases of bulk walnuts, after a recent routine sampling of the product purchased by stores in Missouri and Illinois revealed traces of listeria, the FDA said in a statement.

No illnesses tied to the Sherman Produce walnuts have been reported, the FDA said.

The agency urged purchasers of the products to “dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.”

E.coli outbreak linked to sprouts
U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state E.coli outbreak linked to raw clover sprouts that have sickened as many as 10 people, half of whom required hospitalization, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. No deaths have been reported.

As of May 21 there were seven confirmed and three probable cases of E. Coli illnesses, three in Idaho and seven in Washington state, the FDA said.

The FDA said it was investigating the outbreak in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local officials. The outbreak has been linked to raw clover sprouts from Evergreeen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho.

“We are moving quickly to learn as much as possible and prevent additional people from becoming ill,” the FDA said in a statement. “We recognize that people will be concerned about this outbreak, and we will continue to provide updates and advice.”

Health officials said the sprouts were eaten in sandwiches at several food outlets in Washington and Idaho, including Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches in King and Spokane counties in Washington and two Pita Pit locations in Spokane County.

Evergreen also distributed sprouts to other restaurants and some retail grocery stores.

Symptoms of E.coli include diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In severe cases patients can develop a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). So far no cases of HUS have been reported. E.coli are a diverse group of bacteria. The latest outbreak is caused by Shiga toxin-producing E.coli 0121, or STEC 0121.